Keeping a food diary can double weight loss, study shows

Trying to lose weight? Record every morsel you put into your mouth and you’ll lose twice the amount of weight lost by dieters who don’t keep a food diary, according to a study conducted by Kaiser Permanente’s Center for Health Research.

“It seems that the simple act of writing down what you eat encourages people to consume fewer calories,” said lead author Jack Hollis Ph.D. in a news release.

The study included nearly 1,700 participants. The average weight loss after six months was about 13 pounds. Sixty-nine percent lost at least nine pounds.

But in case you start thinking that you can eat all the Big Macs you want as long as you confess it in your diary, take note: the participants in the study followed a diet known as DASH, for “Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension,” which is rich in veggies and fruit and low-fat and non-fat dairy products. Plus they had to exercise at moderate intensity levels for at least 30 minutes daily. They turned their food diaries in at weekly group sessions.

The food diary doesn’t need to be fancy. You can write down what you eat on Post-It notes or send yourself emails or text messages  what matters is that you’re thinking about what you’re eating and changing your behavior accordingly, according to Dr. Keith Bachman with Kaiser Permanente Care Management Institute’s Weight Management Initiative.

Forty-four percent of the study’s participants were African Americans, who have a higher risk than whites for health conditions that are linked to obesity. Losing weight can decrease the chances of developing hypertension, high cholesterol, heart disease and diabetes.